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  • Design & Handling

  • Features

  • Conclusion

  • Design & Handling
  • Features
  • Conclusion

Never content to leave well enough alone, Fuji has debuted the latest version of the camera that kicked things off. The X100T (MSRP $1,299.95) is the third iteration of Fujifilm's digital rangefinder-type model. We were able to get our hands on it at Photokina 2014, where we had to fend off voracious X100 owners just to spend time with the camera: a testament to how strong and enticing Fujifilm continues to be.

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Design & Handling

A little nip and tuck never hurt anybody.

The X100S, with its timeless look, was hardly getting long-in-the-tooth. But the fact remained that the original two X100 cameras weren't quite up to snuff with Fujifilm's other X-marked cameras like the refined X-T1. After years of customer feedback, Fujifilm has taken this update very seriously when it comes to design and handling. If the X100S was Fuji's apology for the sluggishness of the original X100, then the X100T is its way of dealing with the niggling issues users had with those cameras' less-than-ideal controls.

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Around the camera's back, you'll find a much cleaner button layout. Absent from the X100T is the wiggly, wobbly vertical control dial that came standard on the first two cameras. Instead, you'll find four directional buttons reminiscent of those on the X-T1. They're used to navigate menus and can even be programmed to do custom functions.

The more logical layout upgrade extends to the buttons peppered around the camera's backside. The crucial Q button is now within easy reach of your thumb, and the AEL/AFL button is right above it. There's a bigger, 3-inch LCD screen in about the same place on this X100 version. Not only has it gained 0.2-inches of horizontal size, but it's also sharper at 1040K-dots.

The iconic aperture control around the lens now has 1/3 stops.

The excellent aperture ring around the X100T's 23mm f/2 lens now features 1/3 stops, so that you have way more granular control over the camera's iris. Most other controls remain in the same place, but the EV comp knob now goes all the way to +/- 3 stops.

Although it takes a while to appreciate the smaller design changes Fujifilm implemented here, the X100T is a really nice refresh. Gone are the fiddly pop-out sections around the rear control dial, top of the grip, and around the OVF. It's cleaner overall and reflects the high ambitions of the engineering team at Fujifilm.

Features

The same imaging stack paired with an even better viewfinder.

The magic of the X100T all starts here, with its exemplary imaging stack.

The internals of the X100T haven't really changed since the X100S. With the sophomore edition, Fujifilm had already improved on the original greatly, leaving memories of the X100's sluggish autofocus in the rear view mirror. The X100S was also the first to feature Fuji's X-Trans II APS-C CMOS sensor (which also included on-chip phase detection pixels), and this same sensor continues on in the X100T. The 23mm (35mm equivalent) f/2.0 lens and the 16.3-megapixel APS-C X-Trans sensor together form a winning team, and we expect image quality to be much the same as it was on the X100S.

The small square in the lower left hand corner of the OVF is where the hybrid viewfinder will give you a small piece of live view.

So, since the guts of the camera haven't really changed, we're left to admire the signature feature of the X100 family—a new hybrid optical viewfinder.

All in all, the new hybrid viewfinder is a meaningful update to one of the best aspects of the X100 line.

In prior X100 models, the hybrid viewfinder has featured two modes, either full digital or optical with an overlay. In this new model, you can get a third view that's in-between the two. Now, you can get the bright optical viewfinder, with an overlay of your settings, and with a tiny portion of live view in the lower right-hand corner. We were treated to an advance preview of how this concept would work in the new camera and we were impressed with the way it turned out. All in all, this is a meaningful update to what we think is one of the best aspects of the X100 line.

Like other recent Fujifilm cameras, the X100T adds WiFi, which unlocks both remote control capabilities and also quick image transfers for sharing via social media. Fujifilm is also touting the X100T's new Classic Chrome film simulation mode, which is a nod to the by-gone days of Kodachrome.

Conclusion

The Fujifilm family tree grows stouter roots.

We can't wait to get our grubby mitts on the X100T in the real world.

I'm sure you can tell that we're fans of the X100. After all, the original led the way for Fujifilm's successful comeback, bringing with it new life to the entire camera industry. Without an X100, there wouldn't have been an X10, X-Pro1, or any of the superb X-Mount lenses. Somewhere, there's a parallel universe where the X100 didn't take off and Fujifilm stuck to cut-rate point-and-shoots. That alternate reality is missing out on what might be the greatest comeback story the camera industry has ever seen.

Somewhere, there's an alternate reality where the X100 didn't take off. They're missing out.

Bolstering the strength of the product that started it all, Fujifilm is reminding us how far it's come. Four years after the original X100 debuted, Fuji continues to outfox the competition not only with style, but with substance. The X100T, with its variety of improvements, is the best version of this camera yet.

Meet the tester

Brendan Nystedt

Brendan Nystedt

Contributor

@bnystedt

Brendan is originally from California. Prior to writing for Reviewed.com, he graduated from UC Santa Cruz and did IT support and wrote for a technology blog in the mythical Silicon Valley. Brendan enjoys history, Marx Brothers films, Vietnamese food, cars, and laughing loudly.

See all of Brendan Nystedt's reviews

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